Generales

By: Julián David Ospina Sánchez-Journalist

A process of introspection in the midst of isolation led Juan Guillermo Velásquez, master in Dramatic Art at Universidad de Antioquia, to create the dance solo Chaconne, a reflection through the body that pays homage to humanity in these times of uncertainty due to the pandemic.

Loss and resilience through movement. Photo: courtesy of Juan Guillermo Velásquez.

The hands of Juan Guillermo Velásquez, master in Dramatic Art at Universidad de Antioquia, danced as he described his encounter with human vulnerability in the midst of the isolation forced by the pandemic and an avalanche of news about the marks left by COVID-19 on humanity.

The scene was recreated over and over in Velasquez's mind with the musical notes of Chaconne, the last movement of the Partita for solo violin No. 2 composed by Johann Sebastian Bach around 1720.

"It was time to give a creative twist to all that information and interpret what the enclosed body felt. It showed loss and anger but also resilience", explained the artist. This was the beginning of the dance solo Chaconne, which takes the name and music of Bach’s composition.

With the arrangements and interpretation of Universidad de Antioquia’s musician Miguel Ángel Chamorro, Juan Guillermo wrote a project to transform body movements and images of the new everyday life into dance steps.

Following the three movements of the musical piece, the author proposed the entrance on the stage of a sensitive, thinking and reflective body in three natural spaces of the village El Caney in the municipality Santa Rosa de Osos, Antioquia. "I had a clear idea that the public should identify with the dancer and the spaces he inhabited", he said.

"It is not a European or Japanese dance; it is an autochthonous dance beyond the fact that the music is from the Baroque period. Anyone who sees it can identify with the movements and the settings", said Juan Guillermo Velásquez. See the work of Professor Juan Guillermo Velásquez here.

The first moment takes place on the banks of the Grande River. The protagonist wakes up in the morning. He is curious, contemplates his surroundings and wants to adapt to them through movements that show little skill and leave no trace. The second part takes place on an arid esplanade, where rage, loneliness and the need to continue are expressed through more versatile steps. Vegetation, darkness and fire define the last part, when the dance calls for recognizing loss without pain and owning the new reality through a subtle and sensual sequence, Velásquez commented.

Apart from the corporal and musical arrangements, Juan Guillermo and his nine collaborators concentrated on the audiovisual production so that the camera could capture every movement, gesture and sensation. "A special choreography had to be created so that the cameraman could dance with the images to the rhythm of the protagonist", noted the playwright.

"It's a very delicate creation. The landscapes are very refreshing at a time when the networks are filled with enclosed and domestic spaces. Juan Guillermo is a very dedicated performer and has organic movements that give the impression of dissolving in nature. The fact that he chose Bach’s Chaconne as the only soundscape is pleasantly striking because this composer is a musical master for dance", said María Claudia Mejía, contemporary dance teacher and director of the Malas Compañías group.

The creation of Universidad de Antioquia’s artist and professor won the Call for Stimuli for Art and Culture 2020 of the Mayor's Office of Medellin. This competition allowed the project to become an audiovisual production, which was officially presented on YouTube on March 8.

Velasquez’s Artistic Trajectory 

As a dancer and performer of Compañía Nacional de Danza Contemporánea Argentina, he participated in the following productions: Versus 0.2, Monte, Tierra cautiva; La patriótica, En diálogo, Ensayo sobre el final del invierno, Sansón and Tensión espacial.

As a dancer, performer, actor and cocreator, he featured in: Agua, Dueto, Habitando Medellín, Jasón o un solo amor, Composición 12.5 cuerpos vinculados por el movimiento, One love song, Borrón, Inmóvil, Cambiados en lamento, Loca por siempre, Juegos en la pequeña metrópoli, Encuentro, Aire de tango and Besos en el parque.